Automobile-body construction



Patented Dec. 2,1919.

1 MW M I 0 E 4 w 2 P. A. SCHWAB. AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY I7, I9I7- will? 1 re. rarer r PETER A.v SCHWAB,NEN YUBK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO ADAIVIS-VJILLIAMS LIANUFAC- TUBINGCORPORATIGN, 01" NERV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0E NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE-BODY CQNSTBUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 2, 1919.

Application file-:1 July 17, 1917. Serial No. 180,989.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER A. SGHWAB, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomobile-Body Constructions, of which the ring is a specification.

invention is an improvement in automobile body construction and relatesto the scans for detachably securing in place the transparent panelsused in converting the body into either an open touring car or a closedlimousine. The invention is particularly adapted to that type s iown inthe rVilliams Patents Nos. 1,151,311 and 1,151,815, of August '2 lth,1915, in which the panels have rigid f with depending lugs for insertionnsockets in the upper edges of the hinged or stationary wall sections ofthe body.

My present invention has for its main object to provide a rigid,inexpensive and attractive construction particularly adapted to beembodied in a wall section of the car at the time the body ismanufactured or inserted in the wall of a finisheo car already in use,to receive and hold the lug of the removable panel. I so design thissupport that it has no projecting parts and does not necessitate anyalteration in the contour, shape or s of the'wall section. The detailsof merely certain embodiments of my invention will be explained inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a body construction in connection with which my improvedconstruction may be employed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall section, the outercasing being broken away; r

F'g. 3 is a. horizontal section approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. lis a vertical section approximately on the line -l1- of Fig. 3; r

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form, adapted to be inserted ina mortised recess in the wall;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third form; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a wall embodying the form shown inFig. 6.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a portion of an automobile having the usual bodyincluding stationary wall sections 16 and 11 and intermediate hingedwall sections or doors 12 and 13. T he body, at its rear, supports theframe work of a type of top commonly known asa one-man top 1% and whichhas a horizontal bow extending substantially parallel to the upper edgeof the body proper and secured to the upper edge of the wind shieldstunchions 15. Intermediate these stanchions and an upwardly extendingbow 16 of the top, there are provided four panels 17, 18, 19 and 20,corresponding to the four body sections 10, 11, 12 and 13 and eachrigidly secured to its corresponding wall section.

These panels include ri id frames carrying transparent plates of glass,celluloid or other substance suitable for the purpose. The upper edgesof the panels 17 and 18 which are carried by the stationary parts of thebody may be secured to the horizontal bow of the top in any suitablemanner if desired, while the panels 19 and 20 being carried by thehinged wall sections or doors 12 and 13 may be resiliently held inrespect to the top bow by suitable means, as for instance, that shown inmy companion application Serial No, 18 1,513, filed August 1th, 1917.

The wall sections 10, 11, 12 and 13, may vary in number and width,depending upon the type of car. In bodies with only a single door, theremay be three panels, one

arried by the door and one carried by the stationary wall section inadvance of and one in the rear of said door. In other bodyconstructions, no panel in front of the door need be employed and thusthere would be only two panels on each side, one carried by the door andthe other carried by the stationary wall .1 the rear of the door.

The features of construction so farreferred to in detail form no portionof my invention and illustrated and described merely to I facilitateclear understanding of a preferred use of my invention. 7

The wall sections, whether stationary or hinged are ordinarily formed ofa wooden frame 21 with an outer sheet'meta-l covering 22 which isordinarily folded or rounded over the. frame at the upper edge of thelat.- ter to give the wall section asmooth and attractive finishedappearance and to conceal and protect the frame. In my presentconstruction I cut away a portion of this wooden frame and embed there nthe parts going to make up the lug clamp. In the form shown in Figs. 2,3 and 4t, portions at opposite sides at the two upper corners are cutaway to form recesses in which metal strips and 24C constitutingreinforcing members may be inserted. These may be of short metal bars ofany desired cross section but are preferably rounded at their upperedgesto facilitate the folding over of the outer casing 22 and they arepreferably flat at their inner surfaces so as to fit firmly and snuglyagainst the inner surfaces of the recesses. V

Extending down into the top of the frame is a hug receiving socket 25 ofany desired depth and so positioned that the outer reinforcing strip ormember 2t constitutes an outer wall for the socket. V

Extending inwardly from the opposite side of the frame is a recess 26communicating i ith the socket 25 by a passage 27. Em-

bedded within the recess 26 is a non-rotatable member 28 preferably inthe form of a nut having a non-circular periphery and forced into thewood of the recess so as to be firmly held against rotation. Betweenthis nut and the side reinforcing member 23 is a.

collar or tube 29 serving as a spacing member andpernianently holdingthe nut 28 at a predcteri'niued distance from the member The member 23has an aperture 30 th rein. communicating with the recess 26 and aclamping member 31 extends through the nut 28 and the passage. 27 andterminates in the socket 25.

clamping member 7 p .81, which is preferably a screw bolt 7 may projectout through the Y aperture 80 and be of such form that it may 1 bereadilygrasped in the hand or it may terminate within the recess 26.Preferabl -J,

the latterform is employed and the head is of such non-circular crosssection that a key may be inserted through. the aperture strip and thelatter anyrelative IROVGDIGZlfrlH respect to. the nut 28 with which theclamping member has threaded engagement.

All of these parts are extremely simple in their construction, easy tomanufacture and require very little machining or other operati. us onthem. The parts are preferably mncealed,bythe outer casing 22 which isfoldedi'over the'top of the frame as shown The opposite end of thewillbe firmly clamped against the will be held against clamping bolts.

particularly in Figjep A suitable aperture is provided to register withthe socket 25 and a second aperture to register with the recess 26;

I have shown the strips 23 and 24% comparatively short and disposedonly'at the upper corners of the frame. It will, of course, be evidentthat these strips may be as much longer as desired and in fact mayextend along the entire upper edge from one corner to the other so thatthe strips of the clamping device at one corner will be integral withthose of the clamping device at the other corner. In fact, instead ofcutting away portions of the frame to receive these strips and otherparts, the parts 2%, 28, 29, 31 and in the relationship shown may beconnectedto a wooden strip separate from the mam frame of the door andthe latter may be secured directly to the upper edge of the wallsection. This provides a construction which may be readily applied tothe completed wall sections of cars already in use. I have referred toonly two of these clamping members, one at each cornerfor engaging withtwo lugs on the wall panel. it will of course, be evident that a largernumber of clamping devices may be provided and that they may be disposedin such position and in such number as will correspond to the positionand-number of the depending lugs on the'removable panels.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form in which the opposite walls ofthe lug re ceiving socket are integral and only 'on'e reinforcing orside strip is employed. Inthis construction, Temploy a single castingin-' cluding a facing or side reinforcing strip 2 a non-rotatable part28 and side connecting parts 32 These threeparts being integral arerigid in respect to each other and the parts 24 and 28 c'orrespond tothe parts 2i and 28'ofFig. 3 while the parts 32 correspond to the meansemployed in the form shown in Fig. 3, for preventing the separation-ofthe parts-2a and 28. V The lug receiving socket 25 is between the parts24: and 28 and the clamping screw 81 is threaded through thenon-rotatable part 28. This device may be inserted within a mortise'drecess within the wall section ofthe automobile body in approximatelythe same position as is the device shown'in' Figs; 2, 3 and -Theend ofthe clamping sc ew 31 preferably terminates within the wall *andaccessmay be gainedto' 'it through a hole' bored in from the opposite surfaceof the wall and slightly larger than and in'alin'ement with the clamp'lng screw. The slde or renrforcing strip 245 may be rigidly secured tothe body of the wall section in any suitable manner. is shown, it hasprojecting-end portions apertured to receive heavy wood screws or Afurther form is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 which is particularly adapted foruse where it may be desired to vary the position of the lug receivingsocket in respect to either surface of the wall section. This formincludes a face plate 23 corresponding to the part 23 of Fig. 3 and anon-rotatable part 28 corresponding to the non-rotatable part 28 of Fig.3. These two may be cast integral and be connected by side members 32"corresponding to the means which holds the parts 23 and 28 of Fig. 3rigid in respect to each other. Rigidly and adjustably connected to thecasing is a U-shaped member 2 .3 spaced from the non-rotatable member28" to leave a lug receiving socket or aperture 25 The clamping member31 is threaded through the member 28 and when in operative position mayclamp the lug of the panel against the member 2%". The head of theclamping member preferably terminates within the recess between themembers 23 and 2S" and access may be gained to it by a key receivingopening 30 in the part 23". Any suitable means may be employed forclamping the parts 24" and 28 rigid in respect to each other andpermitting of an adjustment of the part 2 t in respect to the part 23 Asshown, the part 24 has side members engaging with the outer surfaces ofthe parts 32 and slotted to receive lugs 86 on the latter acting asguides to control the direction of relative movement of the parts inrespect to each other. For holding them in adjusted position there areemployed screws or rivets 37 extending through the slots in the members35 and into the bridge made up of the parts 28 and 32 For holding thedevice in position and rigid in respect to the frame or body of the wallsection of the car, the side strip 23 has apertures through itsprojecting ends to receive wood screws or clamping bolts. The side strip23 may be unfinished and embedded within a mortised opening in the frameas shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 in which event it need not be finished withany particular care or it may be made comparatively thin as shown andmay be not only longer but also wider than the parts carried by it sothat the device may be applied to the wall section of a car previouslycompleted. It is merely necessary to cut a recess into the side of thewall adjacent to the top as shown in Fig. 7 and thisrecess may extendthrough the outer sheet metal covering 22 as well as into the wood. Thethin marginal portions of the part 23* will overlap the edges of theopening and form a cover plate for the recess as well as an anchoragefor the parts acting to clamp the panel lu 2 Having thus described mylnvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. A convertible automobile body including a wall section, a removablepanel having a rigid frame and a depending lug, a pair of reinforcingmembers upon opposite sides of said wall section, a non-rotatable memberbetween said reinforcing members and a clamping member extending throughsaid non-rotatable member for clamping said lug against one of saidreinforcing members.

2. A convertible automobile body including a wall section, a removablepanel having a rigid frame and a depending lug, a pair of reinforcingmembers upon opposite sides of said wall section, a non-rotatable memberbetween said reinforcing members and a clamping member extending throughsaid non-rotatable member for clamping said lug against one of saidreinforcing members and means for spacing said non-rotatable member fromthe other of said reinforcing members.

3. A convertible automobile body including a wall section having a lugreceiving socket in the upper edge thereof, reinforcing members uponopposite sides of said section, one of said members forming a side wallfor said socket, a screw threaded clamping member extending into saidsocket, and a casing covering the upper edge of said section and saidmembers and having an aper ture registering with said socket.

4. In combination, a wall section having a lug receiving socket in theupper edge thereof and a passage extending laterally from one side intosaid socket, reinforcing members upon opposite sides of said section, anon-rotatable member intermediate of said members an annular memberspacing said non-rotatable member from one of said reinforcing membersand a clamping member having one end extending into said socket andhaving the opposite end within said annular member.

5. In combination, a wall section, reinforcing members upon oppositesides thereof, a nut intermediate of said members, a collar spacing saidnut from one of said members and a clamping screw extending through saidnut toward the other of said members and having its head disposed withinsaid collar.

6. In combination, a wall section, a pair of members embedded in theupper edge thereof and spaced apart to form a lug receiving openingtherebetween, a clamping screw extending through one of said membersinto said socket and having its opposite end or head terminating withinsaid.

wall section.

7. In combination, a wall section, a pair of members embedded in theupper edge thereof and spaced apart to form a lug receiving openingtherebetween, a clamping screw extending through one of said membersinto said socket and having its opposite end or head terminating withinsaid wall section, one of said members being materially longer than theother and having its end portion provided with apertures and meansextending through said apertures for holding said members rigid inrespect to said wall section.

'8. In combination, a wall section having a wooden frame and a sheetmetal covering, a lug clamp embedded Within said frame and having a lugreceiving socket and a lug clamping screw,said sheet metal coveringl'iaving an aperture registering with said socket and having a secondaperture through which access may be gained to said clamping screw.

'9. In combination, a wall section, a strip extending along one edgethereof and rigidly secured thereto, a U-shaped bridge rigid with saidstrip embedded within said wall section and having a portion spaced fromsaid strip to leave a lug receiving socket and a clamping screwextending through one' wall of said socket.

10. A convertible automobile body in cluding a wall section having awooden frame presenting a lug receiving opening in the upper edgethereof, a reinforcing 11. A convertible automobile body including awall section having, a wooden frame presenting 'a lug receiving socketinthe upper edge thereof, a member embedded within said frame alongsidesaid socket and having a threaded passage therethrongh intersecting saidsocket,

a clamping, member within said passage, a sheet metal covering for saidframe having apertures registering with said socket and said passage,and a removable panel having a depending lug adapted to be clampedwithin said socket by said clamping member.

Signed at New York city in the countyof New York, and State of New Yorkthis 9th day of July, A. D. 1917. I

PETER: AJ SCHWAB.

